


tomorrow will be beautiful

by Yotsubadancesintherain5



Category: Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magika | Puella Magi Madoka Magica
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 01:46:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21153548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yotsubadancesintherain5/pseuds/Yotsubadancesintherain5
Summary: In one particular world soul gems can transform into musical instruments. This information will help out Homura more than she realizes.





	tomorrow will be beautiful

In one timeline Homura immersed herself in the steady beats of techno at a young age.

Through this music she forged a friendship with a fellow enthusiast, Kyoko. They went to all sorts of music concerts. Homura would drag her feet if the concerts had any openings that were, as she told, Kyoko, “Mushy crap.”

When a fluffy mascot-like creature, Kyubey, offered up a wish Homura asked for the ability to go back in time for an especially good concert that happened at the beginning of the month. It was the only time she would listen to a cutesy anything.

“You’ve got a soft center under that sentient wall of spikes?” Kyoko mocked when Homura mentioned that.

“It’s sour, you idiot,” Homura had lobbed back.

“Whatever.”

The blasé response made Homura more irritated than she would have if she got an insult right back.

It was because of this that when Homura and Madoka, a new team mate in this Witch hunting, she disregarded Madoka’s violin playing.

“Don’t underestimate me,” Madoka had said, and her voice stumbled a bit despite her conviction. “My violin may not be very strong, but…”

Homura made her disdain known, but leaned back to listen to the violin anyway.

The violin whined until Madoka found the melody and played in earnest. The sweet strains of a violin filled the air. It thrummed and ached where Homura’s soul was meant to be.

She wouldn’t learn the truth for a long while. But in that moment she was enthralled with the sound of a violin.

-

Their soul gems could transform into rings, their respective instruments and their magical weapons. Their weapons were decorated or were accompanied by music.

Mami’s muskets were made to look like clarinets. Sayaka’s sword hilt looked like the case of a portable piano and the blade looked like piano keys. Madoka’s bow was colored like a violin and the arrows like a violin’s bow. Kyoko battled with her spears to the beat of techno. Homura knew when her time-stopping powers were going to be undone when the techno beat faded.

The Witches were a cacophony of noise, broken instruments without a semblance of time or pitch.

It should have been a hint.

But before this Homura spoke about 

Homura found herself reaching out to Madoka more, and they spoke of a personal project Madoka was working on.

When she preformed the final product for Homura she used all of her skill. Her violin was accompanied by other instruments from video recordings.

The strain of the violin was accompanied by piano keys, and it gave way to the soft plucking of a ukulele. Vocalization hummed across the music. The warm sound of a cello brought the music to slowness, and then the violin brought it to closure.

It was the most wonderful music Homura ever heard.

-

A few weeks before Walpurgisnacht was to arrive Homura was tormented by a nightmare.

It was like the battle happened before, a memory she didn’t know she possessed, and the details phased in and out throughout the nightmare.

Walpurgisnacht was a mixture of circus music and laughter that nearly sounded like sobbing.

It knocked Homura off her rhythm, her eyes were trapped in tunnel vision. She saw Kyoko’s soul gem fall through their air and get pierced by her own spear. She thought she saw the silhouette of a Witch, one that she could not place. She bit back her screams.

The cacophony reverberated through her skull and the notes of a piano were cut short. Homura stumbled through the stormy streets – the streets were whole and vibrant, there was laughter and happiness – the streets had blood on the sidewalks, she didn’t even know that she was human enough to bleed, her ears wailed with pain.

Homura could see Mami. She tried a last ditch effort with Trio Finale, and the sound nearly made Homura’s eardrums burst.

Walpurgisnacht’s noise ceased. Mami fell and wouldn’t get move no matter how much Homura shook her.

Homura stood up. The wind howled throughout the ruins. She ran, had one last hope that teetered on the edge. She called out, running through the debris and the ankle-deep flood.

She found a violin smashed beyond repair, she agonized that it happened again – it never happened like this, it was the first time but the pain bore down like a thousand needles – she hurried to lift Madoka from the water.

Madoka was silent, Madoka’s face contorted with pain as malice ran through her soul gem, Madoka was begging –

“You’re here,” Madoka said weakly.

She said so many things. They were unclear, Homura hated herself then because these were Madoka’s words and she didn’t deserve to have them become lost.

Through the haze something became clear, “I never wanted my music to be a weapon.”

She exhaled. The sky turned to dusk and Homura’s cries were soundless.

When Homura awoke she reached out for her headphones. Techno music filled her ears. She turned up the volume and pressed her hands against the headphones. She had to purge her mind of Walpurgisnacht and Madoka’s dying words, even if it was just a nightmare.

-

For some semblance of differentiating herself, if there were multiple versions of her and they suffered that fate, Homura cut off her braids. The scissors gagged on the tightly bound hair. It cut messily, and her hair was left uneven.

It was something that Kyoko mercilessly pointed out when she saw.

“You look like you got into a fight with gardening shears.” Kyoko’s mouth curled up into a smirk.

Homura’s mouth was a tight line.

“Yeah, what’s that American saying? ‘The circus is in town, looks like they’re missing a clown.’”

“Shut up.”

The words came out much harsher. Kyoko recovered quickly.

“Oh, look at you, acting so tough! Too bad you weren’t like that when the gardening shears got you.”

“In my dreams I saw Walpurgisnacht.”

That cut Kyoko off. She blinked and her eyes turned to curiosity.

“What happened? You a psychic or something?”

“I don’t know. I don’t care if it’s going to be real or not, I want it to be over. I want us all to win.”

“Look at that. Soft center was there all along.”

Homura met that with a look.

“Okay, sorry, sorry,” Kyoko said. “What do you want me to say?”

“Give me an answer. How do we stop using our music as weapons?”

“What, like with Witch hunting?” Kyoko asked.

“Like that.”

“I don’t know,” Kyoko said, “Maybe we could just beat Witches over the head with our instruments?”

“That’s using it as a weapon,” Homura said.

“Do you have any other ideas?”

Homura opened her mouth and closed it; she wondered if she should just disregard that nightmare after all.

“It was a weird, question,” she said.

“You’re weird,” Kyoko replied, with no malice. “As if I would die so easily.”

Homura nodded.

But she couldn’t shake the entirety of the dream off. She confided in Madoka, and even though it wasn’t real the last words the dream’s Madoka spoke shook as they fell from her mouth.

Madoka was more well-versed in comfort and hugged her tightly. She seemingly threw away any worry about her death in Homura’s nightmare, and it terrified her beyond words.

“I’ll find another way,” Madoka said.

Homura held on tighter, just for a little while longer.

-

Walpurgisnacht began her descent upon the city. The circus music curled through the air and wormed its way into Homura’s ears.

She gritted her teeth and stood taller. She began the fight and the others followed.

Madoka and Mami took charge of getting rid of the far-ranged familiars. The close ones were dispatched by Kyoko and Sayaka.

Homura ran ahead, the world frozen, and she jumped off a ruined building to another, trying to get closer to Walpurgisnacht. The only sound was the beats of techno.

They cut off and Homura lost her step. She stumbled down and slammed against the ground. Her head became fuzzy, her ears rung and she could hear the cries of the others. Her heart pounded painfully.

The strains of a violin went through the air and Homura opened her eyes. She saw a blue sky. The circus music ceased.

A clarinet joined, along with a piano, and the reverb of techno punctuated the melody.

There was laughter and Homura lifted herself up. Amid the ruined city she could see that Walpurgisnacht was gone. Homura could see shades of girls; see glances of what they used to look like in life. They were laughing, they were free, and they were surrounded by pure music.

When it ended the lost souls disappeared into light. There were seconds of peace before cheers filled the air.

Someone slammed into Homura and she heard Madoka laugh close to her ear. Homura clasped Madoka’s hands and smiled.

-

After, when the residents were taken to safety and Homura could finally talk with the others they made a plan for the present and future.

It seemed their musical skills, and the instruments that formed with their soul gems, acted as purification for Witches – something Kyubey had failed to mention. Homura thought it was because the purified method didn’t use any magic. But it wasn’t about Kyubey and they found a better solution.

They would help guide fallen girls to peace with their music. They would tell living girls of this technique. They couldn’t have been the only ones to figure it out but it didn’t hurt to try and tell anyone who needed this knowledge.

On their travels music would follow them everywhere. Kyoko would sing nonsense songs, of green skies and orange oceans. Sayaka sang old ballads, and Mami would harmonize along.

Homura would grasp Madoka’s hand as they walked. She would sing of her love for Madoka and Madoka would sing right back.

Homura had opened up her heart and was happier.

**Author's Note:**

> So I originally intended this to be a companion piece to the Techno Homura parts of [Marigold Perfume](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16624487/chapters/38970869) but then thought, "You know what, canon and I already put Homura through the wringer. Let's make this one where Homura gets really lucky and manages to save everyone on her first try."  
So I guess this Homura is, "Super-duper lucky Homura."
> 
> A big inspiration for this is the fighting mechanics in MOTHER 3 and the ending of MOTHER 1/Earthbound Beginnings. In MOTHER 3 physical fights get combos if you fight in tune with the battle music. In MOTHER 1/Earthbound Beginnings Gyiyg/Giegue/Giygas is defeated through singing his adoptive mother's song. 
> 
> Overall, this is a love letter to music.


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